CHECKLISTS

Posted on June 1, 2018 by randscallawayffm

Timothy and Titus – Inconspicuous Leadership

1 Timothy 5 checklistI am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.

As I journal each morning in my conversational prayer with God, the Father, His Spirit guides me to make another list that helps me to mature and grow in Him. I am convicted of some of those “fruits of the Spirit” that I have not tended to or cultivated, have ignored or left undone. His Holy Spirit redirects my thoughts and helps me form a list of tasks that will help me improve my behavior. “Keep a close check on yourself”, writes Paul to Timothy. For me, that means to make a spiritual checklist that keeps me in close contact with the will and purpose of our Father, God and helps me to grow closer to Him.

We can do nothing of significance without God. I am convinced that He guides us to all things that are good for our growth and aid our learning about Him and how He works. Paul also gives Timothy sound advice about how to treat those whom God has called to lead with character traits with another list of how to lead. This list still applies to us today. The theme of this episode seems to be; Know God, Know Yourself, Know The Message, Know Your Audience. Our deeds, good and bad, will be evident. Be driven by God’s love in us.

1 Timothy 5, The Message

17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”

19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.

20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.

21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.

24-25 The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.

1 Timothy 5 check yourselfLEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself

Leadership Characteristics –

–Fully rely on God. Trust Him with all you are and all you have. We are His. All we have is His.
–Ask God “if there is anything offensive to you, cleanse me.” as the Psalmist prayed.
–Repent with a heart and mind not wanting to return to the old life.
–Look full into the face of Jesus, our Master, Lord and Savior with laser focus so we know what direction to take next.
–“Keep a close check on yourself.” Avoid, “he did it, I can, too” or “my sin is not as bad as his sin” or “everybody’s doing it” mentality.
–Ask God for wisdom, insight and understanding.
–Allow God’s transformation to continue in our lives.
–Ask God to make your lists of to BE and to DO. HE will prioritize your lists in ways you cannot imagine! Where He guides, He provides help all along the journey.
–Do all in a Spirit of love for God and others.
–Care enough to confront others with God’s love and concern for their spiritual well-being and growth.

Warning   The things on our spiritual check list can never be crossed off because we’ll be working on them our whole lives. By listing we are reminding ourselves of what we need to work on to “keep a close check” on our lives. It is only by The Atonement of Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You have convinced me that we must do spiritual “business” with You each day to improve our being in You. Thank you for helping us on this journey. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that points out things in our behavior that could cause us to crash…before crashing. Thank you for always being with us, guiding and directing, loving and protecting and challenging us to grow and bear Fruit. Continue to transform me. Transform your church. Transform the world through your church.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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PRAYERS OF THE ANCIENTS

Posted on July 2, 2026 by randscallawayffm

I remembered the closing statements of the prayers of my Grandpa Lacquement well. I didn’t understand it completely as a young child—but I listened and thought I knew what he said!  I loved Grandpa and Grandma. I loved going to the farm to be with them, but I was more interested in being outside.  I tagged behind Grandpa as he did his chores of feeding and caring for the animals.  “They get fed before we do”, he would say.  I still remember watching him call the cows to feed using his family’s native language of French.  Speaking of cows, Grandpa decided one day I was old enough to come out of the truck cab to help guide a bull he had borrowed into his stock truck so he could take it back to its owner!  That was frightening but Grandpa just smiled at my efforts to appear larger than I was to that bull that day!  Together, we got it done!

But it was his prayers, along with Grandma’s that I remember most.  We bowed to thank God at all our meals.  Each night before we went to bed we read the Bible, talked about it, then got down on our knees to pray. Their prayers were reverent, honest, and unforgettable.  However, as a child we seem to hear and process differently.  For a while, I heard this one phrase at the end of the noon meal that I didn’t quite understand but accepted because Grandpa prayed it!  What I heard was; “and may this food be used for your juice”.  I would look around the table—there was no juice.  One day I watched Grandma boil down fruit to make juices and jellies.  Ah, now I get it, that’s what he means when he prays about juice.  But no, after telling them both that I had figured out this phrase on my own, they laughed and said, “No child, I’m praying for God to use this food for His intended use so that His will is done in us as He provides for us.”  Oh, that would be different.

In the next collective book of the Psalms, a prayer of Moses is included to remind people of how God provided a great leader to lead the children of Israel out of bondage and slavery of Egypt—but not without troubles, conflict and hazards on the journey.  God was with them and would never leave them.  But still, even Moses, questioned God in the hard times but would always come back to God in faith knowing He had all the answers and would help him.

Psalm 90, The Message

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

1-2 God, it seems you’ve been our home forever;
    long before the mountains were born,
Long before you brought earth itself to birth,
    from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.

3-11 So don’t return us to mud, saying,
    “Back to where you came from!”
Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether
    a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
    no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
    and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
    we’re at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
    since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
    Is that all we’re ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
    (with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
    Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
    such anger against the very ones who fear you?

12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well!
    Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
    and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
    then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
    we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you’re best at—
    the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
    confirming the work that we do.
    Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

This is the oldest “song” in the Book of Psalms.  It was written by Moses, the man of God (Josh. 14:6; Ezra 3:2). It covers mankind from the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve, to the return of our Savior. The psalm speaks of an eternal God and frail humans, a holy God and sinful man, life and death, and the meaning of life in a confused and difficult world.  Moses understood God’s purpose for him even though he had to overcome his fear and replace it with faith as he led God’s people out of bondage to a freedom in the land God provided. In Moses’ prayer, saved and recorded in the Psalms, we are able to grasp the faithful love of God, if we listen closely to His Holy Spirit who lead us to all that is truth.

One of my favorite songs…”In Everything, Give Thanks”

In everything give Him thanks, give Him thanks
In everything give Him thanks
In the good times praise His name
In the bad times do the same
In everything give the King of Kings all the thanks!

(Written by Donna Alley, Sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir)

Living, growing, learning, in an imperfect, sinful world while gaining more of God in our pursuit of Him, through bad times as well as good times; we learn to give thanks to God whose love, care, mercy, and grace never changes for us.  As His love never changes; our thanks and praise to God should never change!

Moses remembered his pain over the sins of the people (See Exodus 32). In Moses’ psalm, we are reminded that we are only here for a brief time and that we should ask God to help us wisely make use (not juice) of each day for our good and His glory! (smiling)

Moses knew what it was like to be “strangers in the land” God have given to His people.  This world is not our home, we are merely journeying to our forever home with God some day!  So don’t get too comfy!  “Teach us to number our days,” Moses also prayed, “that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).  Nothing strikes fear in men and women when the end is near and we feel unprepared.

So, what would you like to do before you die? Ask God for wisdom; He loves, even delights, in helping us!

Lord,

Thank you, Holy Spirit for guiding our thoughts, reminding us to praise and thank God in all circumstances.  The ancients gave thanks and so should we who believe in faith that God is real and what He says is Truth.  Lead us, Lord.  Help us to use your provisions for your intended use in all we think, say, and do for your glory!  I thank You for the legacy of all who has gone before us to teach us to walk humbly with You!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD’S LOVE REIGNS

Posted on July 2, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean’s tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings…

(Songwriters: Bradley B. C. Avery / David Carr / Johnny Mac Powell / Mark D. Lee / Samuel Tai Anderson, Your Love Oh Lord lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.; Sung by Third Day.)

Psalm 89, The Message

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1-4 Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it!
    I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
I’ll never quit telling the story of your love—
    how you built the cosmos
    and guaranteed everything in it.
Your love has always been our lives’ foundation,
    your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
You once said, “I joined forces with my chosen leader,
    I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
‘Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
    I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.’”

5-18 God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
    the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
Search high and low, scan skies and land,
    you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God.
The holy angels are in awe before him;
    he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
    powerful and faithful from every angle?
You put the arrogant ocean in its place
    and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
    you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
    everything from atom to archangel.
You positioned the North and South Poles;
    the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
    nobody messes with you!
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
    Love and Truth are its fruits.
Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
    who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
    who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
    you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to God,
    Holy God of Israel, our King!

19-37 A long time ago you spoke in a vision,
    you spoke to your faithful beloved:
“I’ve crowned a hero,
    I chose the best I could find;
I found David, my servant,
    poured holy oil on his head,
And I’ll keep my hand steadily on him,
    yes, I’ll stick with him through thick and thin.
No enemy will get the best of him,
    no scoundrel will do him in.
I’ll weed out all who oppose him,
    I’ll clean out all who hate him.
I’m with him for good and I’ll love him forever;
    I’ve set him on high—he’s riding high!
I’ve put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other;
    he’ll call out, ‘Oh, my Father—my God, my Rock of Salvation!’
Yes, I’m setting him apart as the First of the royal line,
    High King over all of earth’s kings.
I’ll preserve him eternally in my love,
    I’ll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised.
I’ll guarantee his family tree
    and underwrite his rule.
If his children refuse to do what I tell them,
    if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,
If they spit on the directions I give them
    and tear up the rules I post for them—
I’ll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion
    and make them face the music.
But I’ll never throw them out,
    never abandon or disown them.
Do you think I’d withdraw my holy promise?
    or take back words I’d already spoken?
I’ve given my word, my whole and holy word;
    do you think I would lie to David?
His family tree is here for good,
    his sovereignty as sure as the sun,
Dependable as the phases of the moon,
    inescapable as weather.”

38-52 But God, you did walk off and leave us,
    you lost your temper with the one you anointed.
You tore up the promise you made to your servant,
    you stomped his crown in the mud.
You blasted his home to kingdom come,
    reduced his city to a pile of rubble
Picked clean by wayfaring strangers,
    a joke to all the neighbors.
You declared a holiday for all his enemies,
    and they’re celebrating for all they’re worth.
Angry, you opposed him in battle,
    refused to fight on his side;
You robbed him of his splendor, humiliated this warrior,
    ground his kingly honor in the dirt.
You took the best years of his life
    and left him an impotent, ruined husk.
How long do we put up with this, God?
    Are you gone for good? Will you hold this grudge forever?
Remember my sorrow and how short life is.
    Did you create men and women for nothing but this?
We’ll see death soon enough. Everyone does.
    And there’s no back door out of hell.
So where is the love you’re so famous for, Lord?
    What happened to your promise to David?
Take a good look at your servant, dear Lord;
    I’m the butt of the jokes of all nations,
The taunting jokes of your enemies, God,
    as they dog the steps of your dear anointed.

        Blessed be God forever and always!
            Yes. Oh, yes.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

This psalm is clearly not only thanking God for David but are words to celebrate David’s glorious reign. David’s reign was successful only because God sustained him, forgave him, and guided his path with wisdom, conviction, correction, and compassion.  One of David’s descendants (Jesus Christ) would reign over God’s people forever.  God promised and delivered—Our Deliverer, Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord.

This is the Truth that we know and learn from God’s Word who became flesh and walk among us;

  • God’s love never changes for us. 
  • God never changes in what He expects from us—to love Him back in surrender to His best. 
  • God does not lie. God will keep all His promises. 
  • God prepares His people for what lies ahead with enough information to sustain us in the journey with Him and to Him.
  • God is Present always. God is Present among those who are fully committed to Him, who delight in all His ways, with hearts’ desires to do what He says. 
  • Our power, strength, and help come from our faithful God who never gives up on us.
  • God sent His Son, Jesus to earth to be born of a virgin and nurtured by a devote earthly father.
  • Jesus’ mission was to love, forgive, heal, and save humanity from our sins. Jesus paid the debt and set all who believe free from the bondage of our sins.
  • Jesus was the Messiah, “one who saves”, and is now the KING of kings and LORD of lords who reigns—just as God said and delivered from the line of David, His anointed earthy king.
  • Jesus is coming again, soon, to take us to our heavenly home, the home He has prepared for us from the beginning. 

PLOT TWIST WITHIN THE SONG OF PRAISE:

As the praise for God keep coming; we are praising, too!  Then all of a sudden Ethan, the writer of Psalm 88, looked back and asked what had happened to the great unfailing love the Lord had shown to David. Ethan is obviously struggling with dealing with the consequences currently caused by the rebellion of God’s people.  But the psalmist knows that God’s love had not changed; it was Judah’s love for the Lord that had waned. Like any good parent, God shows His love to Hs children either by blessing their obedience or chastening them for their disobedience, but in either situation, God is manifesting His love.

Warren Wiersbe writes;

“This Psalm expresses a great truth: No matter how much we suffer because of the sins of others, and no matter how perplexed we may be at the providential workings of the Lord, we should still be able to say by faith, “Blessed be the LORD forevermore!” And our fellow sufferers ought to respond with, “Amen and Amen!” That’s the way of trust—faith in the faithfulness of the Lord.”—Wiersbe Study Bible

“Trust and Obey for there’s no other way…”

Lord,

Thank you for your relentless love and forever faithfulness to us—even when we are less than faithful to you.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation continually at work within us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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PSALM SUNG BLUE

Posted on June 30, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Song sung blue
Everybody knows one
Song sung blue
Every garden grows one

Me and you are subject to the blues now and then
But when you take the blues and make a song
You sing them out again
Sing ’em out again

Song sung blue
Weeping like a willow
Song sung blue
Sleeping on my pillow

Funny thing, but you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it, get to feeling good
You simply got no choice

Me and you are subject to the blues now and then
But when you take the blues and make a song
You sing them out again

(Source: LyricFind, Songwriters: Neil Diamond, Song Sung Blue lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group)

“Song Sung Blue” was a 1972 Billboard number-one hit song written and recorded by Neil Diamond.  It is now also the title of a movie about two musicians who fall in love while trying to eek out a living being a cover band of Neil Diamond songs. Based on a true story about their struggles in the music industry, they are shown to experience good, even great times, followed by very challenging times demonstrating the human condition of all who seek to find their place in this world.

The real meaning of the song written by Neil Diamond is about the universal human experience of sadness, and the therapeutic power of music to overcome it. The lyrics acknowledge that everyone feels “the blues” from time to time, but turning that sadness into a song can help exorcise those feelings, lift your mood, and bring you joy. 

Could it be that the writers of the psalms are prompted by God to be raw and honest about their times of feeling “the blues” and then inspired by God to know Him more, turn to Him by writing about Him—all so that we will know what to do when we feel sadness?  Expressing sadness, defeat, followed by joy and the power of what God provides in all circumstances was the mantra of David who sang in the fields as he shepherded sheep and then anointed as King over Israel! King David taught Asaph and others how to write other Psalms about God so His “beat goes on”! 

Yes, there is something about writing our feelings in prayer and prose that changes our attitudes even as we jot down our thoughts.  I’m sure God’s Holy Spirit, who leads us to all truth, has a lot to do with turning our current condition and attitudes from ashes into beauty! Writing to God as I listen for God certainly helps me and my attitude each day!  Without “a little talk with Jesus” to begin my day I would remain a mess without a message. But with Him, joy floods my soul like Heavenly Sunlight!  (Yes, another song of joy!)

The following song/psalm is sung blue for sure but remember there is more to come.  Sadness is not the end.  It is never the end—not with God in control.

Psalm 88, The Message

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. (Musical style expressing lament)

1-9 God, you’re my last chance of the day.
    I spend the night on my knees before you.Put me on your salvation agenda;
    take notes on the trouble I’m in.
I’ve had my fill of trouble;
    I’m camped on the edge of hell.
I’m written off as a lost cause,
    one more statistic, a hopeless case.

Abandoned as already dead,
    one more body in a stack of corpses,
And not so much as a gravestone—
    I’m a black hole in oblivion.
You’ve dropped me into a bottomless pit,
    sunk me in a pitch-black abyss.
I’m battered senseless by your rage,
    relentlessly pounded by your waves of anger.
You turned my friends against me,
    made me horrible to them.
I’m caught in a maze and can’t find my way out,
    blinded by tears of pain and frustration.

9-12 I call to you, God; all day I call.
    I wring my hands, I plead for help.
Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?
    Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?
Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?
    Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?
Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,
    your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?

13-18 I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help,
    at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.
Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?
    Why do you make yourself scarce?
For as long as I remember I’ve been hurting;
    I’ve taken the worst you can hand out, and I’ve had it.
Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;
    I’m bleeding, black-and-blue.
You’ve attacked me fiercely from every side,
    raining down blows till I’m nearly dead.
You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;
    the only friend I have left is Darkness.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Pray, seek God, listen to Him and His songs that cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and shift our attitudes.  My song when in darkness is “It Is Well”.  Weird right?  How can a person in darkness say, “it is well with my soul”?  ICYMI, the composer of It Is Well was at his darkest time in complete sadness over suffering great lost.  Here is the story;

“This hymn was written after traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his son followed shortly by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which ruined him financially (Spafford had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time Spafford had planned to travel to England with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, to help with Dwight L. Moody’s upcoming evangelistic campaigns. In a late change of plan, Spafford sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters, Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta, ahead while Spafford was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, killing 226 people, including Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta. Anna survived and sent Spafford the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”. Shortly afterwards, as he traveled to England to meet his grieving wife, Spafford was inspired to write these words as his ship passed the spot near where his four daughters had died. Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

It is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul

What an incredible attitude shift from utter darkness to knowing God held this grieving father and his surviving wife in the palm of His Hand.

We learn that sadness is a normal human response. “Jesus wept.”  But sadness that comes like a tidal wave was not meant to swallow us.  Run to God, speak with Him, tell him all about what is going on and then realize He is already working on our rescue and deliverance. Belief in this truth shifts our attitudes! Turning to God for His comfort, peace, love, mercy, and grace is the only way to being well with our hearts, minds and souls!

We cannot be well until we allow God to rescue us from darkness, renews how we think, while He carries us into His Light of Truth.  There is truly blessed assurance and “joy in the morning” as we trust God to be the One and Only who carries us when we have trouble walking with wobbly weak knees.  Surrender to His best work in us!

Okay, so there are about a million songs, hymns, and praise songs flooding my mind right now as I write this so we will close with praise;

  • Praise God from Whom ALL blessings Flow! 
  • To Him be the glory, honor, and praise!
  • Thank God for bringing out of darkness and into His Light! 
  • It IS well with my soul!
  • Thank Jesus who provides wellness and wholeness because of His own dark suffering to redeem our souls!

Lord,

Thank you for the dark times that teach us to run to you and fall our knees before you in surrender to your love, mercy, and grace.  YOU change everything as you change and transform us from the outside in and inside out!  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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ZION—GOD’S HOME

Posted on June 29, 2026 by randscallawayffm

Believers of all ages call specific places their “church home”.  We might move across the country; but the place where we first accepted Jesus as Savior and learned to surrender to Him as Lord of our lives is “home” to us. I vividly remember my mom leading me to the altar as an elementary student to accept Jesus as my Savior for the first time.  I only had to look at her and she knew to guide me in that moment.  I am forever grateful for my mom who knew Jesus and was led by God’s Holy Spirit.

But, I wonder, as I listen to the stories of others, why the sentiment is so deeply embedded within us of our first church home?  Is the place, the people, or merely because it was there that we met God for the first time? Some people revere a place in the country called church camp as their “home” of endearment because as a child they were led to the Lord in that place.  “There’s no other place like church camp”, I’ve heard people say as if it were the only place to meet God.  But is it the place, the people, the lack of interruptions of our normal noisy lives; or is it truly about God who met us there with His gift of salvation that made the significant difference in our lives?

The difference made is upon leaving our “places” is reflected by what we internalized. When we left the place; did God go with us? Could others see the glory of God on our faces when we returned?  Did meeting with God change how we walked daily with Him?  Did our language change? Or did we return to conform to the world around us so no one knew what happened in us? Just wondering…

This is another psalm that extols the glory of Mount Zion—God’s home to the people of Israel. The songwriter was not seeking to make a political statement with arrogant nationalism in this passage; He was seeking to glorify the God of Israel and the blessings He bestows upon His people. Warren Wiersbe comments that this psalm “must be read on two levels. It is a prophecy of the future kingdom, when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship (Psalm 86:9; Isaiah 2:1–5), and it is also a picture of the heavenly Zion, where the children of God have their spiritual citizenship” as written in Hebrews 12:18–24.” –Wiersbe Study Bible

In other words, to us Zion is known as heaven.  The writer of Hebrews 12:18-24 states:

“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.’The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

The writer drives the point home about how we receive and revere God in His Home;

“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”—Hebrews 12:25-29, NIV

Psalm 87, The Message

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.

1-3 He founded Zion on the Holy Mountain—
    and oh, how God loves his home!
Loves it far better than all
    the homes of Jacob put together!
God’s hometown—oh!
    everyone there is talking about you!

4 I name them off, those among whom I’m famous:
    Egypt and Babylon,
    also Philistia,
    even Tyre, along with Cush.
Word’s getting around; they point them out:
    “This one was born again here!”

5 The word’s getting out on Zion:
    “Men and women, right and left,
    get born again in her!”

6 God registers their names in his book:
    “This one, this one, and this one—
    born again, right here.”

7 Singers and dancers give credit to Zion:
    “All my springs are in you!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I have more questions; How grateful are we for our “church homes” that you are probably remembering as you read this? What was it about that place and time that causes us to remember with fondness and puts smiles on our faces?  On the other hand, what drove us to seek another church home when God seemed distant in the place we left? Was it us? Did God lead the leaving? That’s between the Lord and the one relocating.

But know this; at God’s leading, it is okay with God to seek a place where He is at work among His people, a place where He is active and alive among and within His people, where He alone is worshipped as the One and Only God, where Jesus is called Savior and the church gathered are taught to follow and imitate Him as Lord, where God’s Word is taught through men and women led by His Holy Spirit as the inspired absolute Truth. Seek a church home where God obviously dwells among His People and His Holy Spirit is welcomed as their Guide to Life.  Leave places led by arrogant men and women seeking places with praise and positions that honor them. 

Find Zion—A church home is where God resides and Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church Body. Love God. Love each other.  Obey these two commands first and our world could be revolutionized by our God who lives in us—our personal Zion! 

Keep Zion free from the world’s influence.  Our personal Zion needs a daily dose of surrender to the One who resides with us.  (Romans 12:1-2) Do this and the power of God within us helps us!  The prophet Isaiah speaks of God’s help;

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,            But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:38-41 NKJV

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

Living resurrected, powerful lives does not come from a physical place but from our God of power, majesty, and strength living and working in us—”This is the secret:, Paul writes to God’s church!  “Jesus Christ in us” (1 Corinthians 1:27) 

Praise Him in all His Glory! Come to God with thanksgiving!

Lord,

I surrender all.  All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all of me for all of you. Lead me, Lord. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

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CONFIDENCE IN FAITHFUL GOD WHO NEVER FAILS

Posted on June 27, 2026 by randscallawayffm

God of Abraham, You’re the God of covenant
And faithful promises, yeah
Time and time again
You have proven
You’ll do just what You said

Though the storms may come, and the winds may blow, I’ll remain steadfast
And let my heart learn when You speak a word, it will come to pass

(Songwriters: Aaron Moses / Dante Bowe / Joe L. Barnes / Keila Marin / Lemuel Marin / Phillip Carrington Gaines; Promises lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing, Royalty Network)

This song, “Promises” sung by Maverick, is playing in the background of my heart, mind, and soul as we meditate on Psalm 86, written by King David

But I wonder, when we pray, do we fully expect an answer from our Faithful God?

David was not perfect.  He didn’t always do the right thing personally and it affected the lives of his entire household, but one thing is certain; God did not throw him out with the “Bathsheba” water either. God forgave David.  God did not give up on David. God also taught David great lessons from his messes so others would know the God of all. We also learn, that through it all, what David feared most was the loss of God’s Presence with him.

We recall Psalm 51 and the repentant words pierce our hearts. We know “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and that all need to come back to God, repent, and listen to Him! David’s words in Psalm 51:10-12 were prompted upon repentance the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding his sin with Bathsheba. It is a heartfelt cry for forgiveness, mercy, and restoration.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12, NIV

Great is Your faithfulness to me
Great is Your faithfulness to me
From the rising sun to the setting same, I will praise your name
Great is Your faithfulness to me….

But let’s dive a bit deeper—

David had sinned greatly against his family, his kingdom work and most of all against God. David lived in misery. God never left Him; but didn’t help David continue in sin either. What God did provide was the prophet Nathan, David’s friend and trusted advisor to help him see what David was not realizing the greatness of his sins committed against both families hurt by his adultery and the evil scheme of trying to cover it up. (Read 2 Samuel 12) 

When David realized the full magnitude of his sins; David’s humbled, first response to Nathan: “I have sinned against the Lord.” 

I don’t know about you but at the first reading of his confession; I wanted more from David than just those few words, right? David, you have sinned against a woman who was married who complied because you were King! You even had her husband put to death to make your adultery be okay with everyone involved!  What gives? 

But consider this thought.  After years of studying David’s life with God; I have discovered that in His prayerful and powerful confession of these particular words were first for God alone. David had to get to the core of his sin so that he could be fully restored in soul, spirit, and mind. David had sought the heart of God most of his life.  He was known for “running after the heart of God”. But now, he fell for self, satisfying his own heart, and has all but forgotten his “first love”—God. David’s heart is divided and division leads to acts of rebellion first against God and then to His people. 

In another translation of Psalm 51:4, David says, “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” Why would David say these words when he obviously sinned against others?

Rosalie de Rosset, Professor at Moody Bible Institute writes;

“Sin holds a posture of defiance toward God’s commands; it is an assault on God’s authority. One Bible scholar notes that sin is primarily about “assaulting the glory of God, rebelling against God…a vertical phenomenon.”

Too often we confess our sins toward others without fully understanding our offense against God. Although David failed miserably, he was known as a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). He always returned to his earnest love for God. He always repented and understood his failure before God and reset his life toward Him. David knew that he couldn’t live long with the separation from God, caused by sin.

So, when David said, “Against you, you only, have I sinned,” he was acknowledging his rebellion against God. He was asking forgiveness for his dismissal of God’s commands. As commentators have noted, when Nathan came to David he said pointedly, “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?” (2 Sam. 12:9).  David knew that the worst thing he had done was to despise God. He was not minimizing his crimes against others. Rather, he was emphasizing the direct assault on God that he had caused with those acts.”  

King David repents to God first for it is it his sins that are separating him from God and His Presence!  Ah, now we get it.  Once his sins are confessed, asking for repentance, and his will surrendered to God and His will; David comes boldly and confidently to His God who listens and is present with him.  We have the same God who does not give up on us nor does He ever leave us when we call on His Holy Name.  

Psalm 86, The Message

A prayer of David.

1-7 Bend an ear, God; answer me.
    I’m one miserable wretch!
Keep me safe—haven’t I lived a good life?
    Help your servant—I’m depending on you!
You’re my God; have mercy on me.
    I count on you from morning to night.
Give your servant a happy life;
    I put myself in your hands!
You’re well-known as good and forgiving,
    bighearted to all who ask for help.
Pay attention, God, to my prayer;
    bend down and listen to my cry for help.
Every time I’m in trouble I call on you,
    confident that you’ll answer.

8-10 There’s no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord,
    and nothing to compare with your works.
All the nations you made are on their way,
    ready to give honor to you, O Lord,
Ready to put your beauty on display,
    parading your greatness,
And the great things you do—
    God, you’re the one, there’s no one but you!

11-17 Train me, God, to walk straight;
    then I’ll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind;
    then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.
From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord;
    I’ve never kept secret what you’re up to.
You’ve always been great toward me—what love!
    You snatched me from the brink of disaster!
God, these bullies have reared their heads!
    A gang of thugs is after me—
    and they don’t care a thing about you.

But you, O God, are both tender and kind,
    not easily angered, immense in love,
    and you never, never quit.
So look me in the eye and show kindness,
    give your servant the strength to go on,
    save your dear, dear child!
Make a show of how much you love me
    so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed,
As you, God, gently and powerfully
    put me back on my feet.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“…you, God, gently and powerfully put me back on my feet”.

And please, dear friends, do not fall for the current “believe in yourself” mantra that we should all strive to a better me in this world; but wholly believe, repent, and surrender to God through Jesus with a holy commitment to be more Him who saved us and set us free!

We were created in the image of God.  Through belief in Jesus, surrender with repentance of sins in His Name; God steps in to create, from the inside out, new, pure hearts, removing all that is not of God. Because of Jesus sacrifice, we are forgiven, completely.  Our sins repented are no longer held against us.  The ledger is wiped clean.  Hearts cleansed. Then the real work to transform us begins.

Upon surrender, God’s Holy Spirit immediately comes to reside within our souls to lead us to all that is Truth (Jesus) with purpose, renewing and restoring His Presence with us.  God restores the joy (and peace) of His salvation at work within us to refresh us daily.  Our commitment to believe wholeheartedly with a humble heart, seeking the mind of Christ, while filling our hungry souls with his Daily Manna of His Word leads to transformation of our behaviors.  It is God’s power that transforms us with our willingness to allow Him to do it! Only God.

What a privilege to watch God create us again to be His image bearer, to become His masterpiece, made in His image, becoming more and more like Him in every way as we yield to the work of His Hands!  Yes, and Amen—To God be the glory!

I put my faith in Jesus
my anchor to the ground
my hope and firm foundation
He’ll never let me down
He’ll never let me down
He’ll never let me down

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within us—daily. I surrender all to Your loving, faithful hands.

In Jesus Name, Amen

From the rising sun to the setting same, I will praise your name
Great is Your faithfulness to me…

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SURRENDER IS THE GATEWAY TO REDEEMED LIVING

Posted on June 26, 2026 by randscallawayffm

“It’s all or nothing!”, the sportscaster shouts.  This last effort will either bring victory or the agony of defeat as expressed by those who call the game from the booth over the game.  But what truly defines victory is how the players will respond during and at the end of the game.  Let that just lay there in our minds for a moment…

The Psalmist is recalling how God smiled on His creation when His people trusted and obeyed Him as He rescued them.  This prayer song from the heart calls on God to do it again—to revive, restore, renew, repair hearts, minds, and souls as only He can do. The call is for God to come with His faithful forgiveness and His almighty power to reset the foundation of His people with resurrection powered lives!  And He does!

Could that be our prayer today for ourselves, our family, our friends, and our nation?

REVIVE US AGAIN!

We praise Thee, O God, for the Son of Thy love—
for Jesus, who die, and is now gone above.

Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Hallelujah! Amen!
Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Revive us again.

2 We praise Thee, O God, for Thy Spirit of Light
who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night. [Refrain]

3 All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain,
who has borne all our sins and has cleansed ev’ry stain. [Refrain]

4 Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love.
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above. [Refrain]

(Composer: W.P. Mackay, Published in 1867)

Throughout generations of believers, a new fresh fire from above is the cry of our hearts as we live in a fallen world tainted by sin.  God sent His Son, Jesus as our Savior of our sins.  We must trust and obey Him as Lord of our lives.  He is the One who guides us in resurrection power from day to day until we see Him face to face in glory! 

IT’S ALL OR NOTHING that God recognizes in our surrender to gain eternal life!

Psalm 85, The Message

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1-3 God, you smiled on your good earth!
    You brought good times back to Jacob!
You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people,
    you put their sins far out of sight.
You took back your sin-provoked threats,
    you cooled your hot, righteous anger.

4-7 Help us again, God of our help;
    don’t hold a grudge against us forever.
You aren’t going to keep this up, are you?
    scowling and angry, year after year?
Why not help us make a fresh start—a resurrection life?
    Then your people will laugh and sing!
Show us how much you love us, God!
    Give us the salvation we need!

8-9 I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say.
    God’s about to pronounce his people well,
The holy people he loves so much,
    so they’ll never again live like fools.
See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?
    Our country is home base for Glory!

10-13 Love and Truth meet in the street,
    Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!
Truth sprouts green from the ground,
    Right Living pours down from the skies!
Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;
    our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.
Right Living strides out before him,
    and clears a path for his passage.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Our only response is surrender with a sincere heart that seeks God’s will, purpose, and plan with wisdom and direction for our lives.

May Love and Truth meet in the street where we live, work, serve, while growing an intimate relationship with the One who provided “Right living and Whole Living” for all who believe!

May Right Living clear a path for His Holy Presence to reside and be seen all around us. May we Praise, Repent, Ask and Yield to the Almighty with sincerity and humility before Him.  (For those who like acronyms…PRAY😉) 

Yes, the old hymn, Revive us Again, is still relevant for us today!  Revitalization seems to be the theme of our culture—let be the cry our hearts to God!

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong. Renew our minds as you transform all we think, say, and do. Refresh our souls with your new tender mercies we received each morning. And Restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.  You in me and me in You.  This is a holy relationship that I long for as I wake to a new day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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SING A NEW SONG TO GOD ALONE!

Posted on June 25, 2026 by randscallawayffm

So many songs of our generation are laments about us needing God and that is not necessarily bad but what is better is putting God first, even far above our need for Him and just sing about Him!  Sometimes, I have heard from first time goers, that believers  sing of sadness, need, and begging God to do something; while they came in search of the God who they have heard “nothing is impossible for God”. Mmm.

Maybe we need to “soft pedal” our needs as songwriters and write more songs of thanksgiving, praise, honor, and glory for God who was, is and is the come the One and Only God who created us and gave us life with the bonus of eternal life and removal of our sins!  Put Jesus back at the center of our words of praise and take the “me and my needs” on the sidelines with praise!

The composer of Psalm 84 decided to do just that.  Many musicians, poets, and composers of prose lately have followed his lead as I am recalling many songs from just this passage alone flooding into my memories.  Hymns and choruses with styles from classic to rock have expressed who God is with the beauty of where He lives as our most holy and perfect God.  Yes, there is no one like our God!  Sing it, live it, embrace the God who gives life through His Son, Jesus!

“Yes, better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” …we sing this with a smiles on our faces for we are beginning to imagine living where God lives forever!  And, now this chorus of praise will be stuck in our heads all day long—but that’s not a bad thing to ponder as we read our next psalm—all about God.

Psalm 84, The Message

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
    I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
    where I could sing for joy to God-alive!

3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
    sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
    singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
    How blessed they are to live and sing there!

5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
    whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
    discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
    at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
    O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
    our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.

10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
    beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
    than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
    generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
    It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“The psalmist cried out for God with his entire being. He envied the birds that were permitted to nest in the temple courts, near the altar, as well as the priests and Levites who lived and worked in the sacred precincts. How easy it is for us to take for granted the privilege of worshiping the living God, a privilege purchased for us on the cross.”—Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

How lovely is Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty
My soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within’ Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

[Chorus]
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

V.2 One thing I ask, and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells
Your glory dwells

V.3 My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the Living God
Your Spirit’s water for my soul (My soul)
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
To You… Chorus
https://genius.com/Matt-redman-better-is-one-day-lyrics

“How Lovely is your Dwelling Place” indeed where Peace resides and we praise God with all that is within us, 24/7, forever!

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!”

(Hymn written by Joseph Scriven, 1855)

Don’t read what I am not writing—We do not cease to tell God what we need. But don’t stop there a wallow in neediness! It is a good practice to express our needs to God who convicts, comforts, corrects, and compels us to walk with Him daily with listening ears! We must never forget what a holy privilege it is to “carry everything to God in prayer” then leave our “everything” to Him to help us through it. Immediately after expressing our needs, in faith, praise God with thanksgiving for what He will do and what He will teach us!  

Lord,

Thank you, Holy Spirit for getting the focus off me, yet again, and back to Almighty God who so loved us He saved us. Thank you, Jesus for paying my debt of sin now and forever. Thank you for going “to prepare a place for me in your “lovely dwelling place” where praises are continuous and joyful.  Thank you for the privilege as believers to come boldly into your throne room to offer ourselves to you as we give you praise.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GOD WAS, IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOD! ENEMIES BEWARE!

Posted on June 24, 2026 by randscallawayffm

When we proclaim who God was, is, and always will be; we solidify our stand with God.  There is no one like our God. Period.  To those who truly believe all that God says to be really real are comforted and challenged by God being God.  Believers with willing, surrendered hearts seek Him for wisdom and direction then trust and obey knowing His response is love, mercy, and grace.  God wants the absolute best for us; that’s why He sent His One and Only Son to save us!  His Plan, Purposes, and Promises are true and never fails for God does not lie and cannot fail. Why trust anyone else but God?  I do not know.

The psalm songs of Asaph celebrate God’s strength, grace, and glory especially during his lament to God about all the evil going on around him in his real time.  Asaph knows God enough to be aware of the blessings of God that will surely come to those who serve and trust in him while waiting for God to act on behalf of His people.  In the wait our trust is given an opportunity to shine to the rest of the world who does not yet know God.  Our words and actions in waiting on God is a witness to the people around us, watching to see what we will do when hard pressed, perplexed, and hurting.  Asaph has chosen to cry out to God, knowing God will act on behalf of His people. Asaph also prays for his enemies to know God.  Wait, what?!

Psalm 83, The Message

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

1-5 God, don’t shut me out;
    don’t give me the silent treatment, O God.
Your enemies are out there whooping it up,
    the God-haters are living it up;
They’re plotting to do your people in,
    conspiring to rob you of your precious ones.
“Let’s wipe this nation from the face of the earth,”
    they say; “scratch Israel’s name off the books.”
And now they’re putting their heads together,
    making plans to get rid of you.

6-8     Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
    Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia and the Tyrians,
    And now Assyria has joined up,
    Giving muscle to the gang of Lot.

9-12 Do to them what you did to Midian,
    to Sisera and Jabin at Kishon Brook;
They came to a bad end at Endor,
    nothing but dung for the garden.
Cut down their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb,
    their princes to nothings like Zebah and Zalmunna,
With their empty brags, “We’re grabbing it all,
    grabbing God’s gardens for ourselves.”

13-18 My God! I’ve had it with them!
    Blow them away!
Tumbleweeds in the desert waste,
    charred sticks in the burned-over ground.
Knock the breath right out of them, so they’re gasping
    for breath, gasping, “God.”
Bring them to the end of their rope,
    and leave them there dangling, helpless.
Then they’ll learn your name: “God,”
    the one and only High God on earth.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Surrendered pleading.

Asaph was living in a time of attack of barbaric, cruel nations gathering to destroy God’s people.  These nations were God’s enemies, attacking God’s people, and threatening God’s protected ones. From Asaph’s human perspective, it was time for God to take notice and act!  Surrendered pleading is now the posture Asaph takes. 

Respond with honesty and willingness to learn.

Haven’t we all been there done that?  We come the end of our resources, creative problem solving, and quick fixes to discover the battles with current circumstances are too overwhelming for us to continue fighting it.  It is then that our prayers become less flowery and churchy and become extremely gut wrenchingly honest. It is then, in our surrender, that God has us where He wants us—in a posture of humbled surrender to His will and plan that will always be the best for us.  Why does it take us so long to come to this conclusion?  I don’t know, quite frankly.  But I do know that the more I grow and mature from previous trials and sufferings, the quicker I come to God when more troubles are on the horizon.  I know more readily that God knows and go to Him first.

Pray for our enemies.

When troubles and trials come into our lives and they are caused by those against God, and us who believe; we learn to pray “God forgive us our sins as we pray for those who have “sinned against us”.  We who have watched God work and have been “schooled” and rescued many times over, have learned to also quickly forgive and pray for our enemies.  We understand why Jesus told us to pray for our enemies!  When we pray for those who hate us momentarily; it is harder to stay mad at them and grow bitter over their actions. Asap prayed at the end of His lament;

“Bring them to the end of their rope, and leave them there dangling, helpless. Then they’ll learn your name: “God,” the one and only High God on earth.”

We can pray for God to transform our enemies’ hearts from hate to loving kindness and renewed mind to seek to replace the evil in their being to God’s righteousness. 

Remember, it is not God’s desire that anyone perish–so it shouldn’t be our desire either.  Take it from Jesus;

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.” –Jesus, Matthew 5:43-47, MSG

Well, okay then, Jesus is pretty clear about our response to our enemies!  What do you think and how will you respond next time or is it time now?

Oh Lord,

We have so much still to learn!  We learn from your Word that is even more to learn AND do in Your Name, for our good, and Your glory!  May your Kingdom come and dwell within us and be seen all around us with grateful praise. May your will be done with willing obedient hearts as we trust and obey.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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JUDGES—BUSTED!

Posted on June 23, 2026 by randscallawayffm

To think we will get by with judging others carelessly is a huge mistake.  To seek unjust ways with hidden personal agendas will not go well for us.  To seek notoriety and fame as a judge will not please God who is the One and Only fit to judge is misguided thinking that comes from evil. To judge while seeking what we can get in return for the verdict while looking down on those who need justice with mercy the most is sin and will boomerang back on the one who administered unwise judgements. God spoke through Micah, one of His prophets of old, and told us His requirements for living a just life.  A just life is a life in relationship with God not a ritual to perform. God sees the heart. There is nothing we can or should do to change God but we can certainly surrender to God and allow Him to change us! 

To be more like God in every way it begins with a “heart transplant”, exchanging our weak, sick evil hearts for God’s perfect loving heart of mercy and grace. Great relationships are built to last with God and others when we surrender to this heart transplant!  Micah teaches a sinful Israel;

“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:6-8

“To walk humbly with God” is the definition of a beautiful, intimate, growing relationship with God!

Micah knew that sacrifices were outward expressions of inner faith and trust. What God desired most of all was for Israel to relate to him in a heartfelt, personal way—not just in some superficial, ritualistic fashion. So, he warned God’s people with definitions of justice, mercy, delivered with the grace of God.  The Psalmist today is singing of unjust, cruel judges who need God’s hand of righteousness and judgement placed upon them as only He can do.

Psalm 82, The Message

God calls the judges into his courtroom,
    he puts all the judges in the dock.

2-4 “Enough! You’ve corrupted justice long enough,
    you’ve let the wicked get away with murder.
You’re here to defend the defenseless,
    to make sure that underdogs get a fair break;
Your job is to stand up for the powerless,
    and prosecute all those who exploit them.”

5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges!
    They haven’t a clue to what’s going on.
And now everything’s falling apart,
    the world’s coming unglued.

6-7 “I appointed you judges, each one of you,
    deputies of the High God,
But you’ve betrayed your commission
    and now you’re stripped of your rank, busted.”

8 O God, give them what they’ve got coming!
    You’ve got the whole world in your hands!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, writes Paul.  (Romans 3:23)

We judge.  We like to judge.  It’s a human habit.  Admit it. When a new person walks into the room, our minds automatically begin to “size them up” by how they carry themselves, what they wear, the words they say,  where they are from because of their accent, all while judging their facial expressions when we talk with them!  Yes, we are judges who daily and easily presume and assume how we feel about a person in the first few minutes of meeting. 

Every person as a story and we don’t know that story.  We have a story.  They don’t know our story.  All our stories have molded and shaped us to be who we are today. 

As His created, God knows us by name, knows our stories, and guided our stories with a such a great, unchanging, relentless, unchanging love that it is hard to wrap our minds around it.  And get this; God knew you and I as sinners but saw us a redeemable!  While we were sinners; God sent His Son to remove our sins by dying in our place of punishment for our sins.  (John 3:16-17) While the world jeers at us and calls us by what we have done; God calls us His beloved Child who bears His Name forever in relationship to Him! When we repent of all that is not of God such as hate, bitterness, judging, condemning, envy, jealousy, arrogant pride, sexual misconduct, and everything else not of God in the Name of Jesus; we become joint heirs with Jesus!  Crazy, right!?

Jesus was sent by God to do what we could not do—be the perfect without sin sacrifice to pay our debt and set us free which removed our sin as far as the east is from the west!  When God looks at us; His first thought is Love! He sees redemption not condemnation.  Evil calls us by our sin; God calls by our name—redeemed child of God. 

God will never look into the eyes of a person He does not love!  So, who are we to judge?

Even as the psalmist pleads with God to rid society of evil judges; it is not God’s desire that anyone perish but all might be saved. (2 Peter 3:9) But God will do what needs to be done to protect those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

These judges did not act justly or love mercy and they walked in defiance of God’s will (Micah 6:8). The pronoun “you” in verse 2 is plural, for the Lord is addressing all the guilty judges. They championed the causes of the guilty because they were bribed, and they failed to care for the orphans and widows. The judges chosen by God were disobedient to God and as a result would be judge by God.

Warren Wiersbe comments;

“The priests and Levites (God’s judges) did not always do their jobs well, and the common people did not know the law well enough to defend themselves. ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’ (Hosea 4:6). When the law of God is ignored or disobeyed, this shakes and threatens the very foundations of society, for God’s moral law is the standard by which man’s laws must be judged.” –Wiersbe Study Bible

God’s Word—still relevant and applicable today!  When the Lord comes to judge the earth, no one will escape, and His sentence will be just. (Skip to the end of the Book for this truth!) Asaph’s prayer echoes the church’s prayer: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” taught by Jesus when His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray.  (Matthew 6:10). 

Pray for all those in authority over us that they would submit to God and His Ways.  Ask God to protect those in positions of government as they are tempted daily.

Lord,

Thank you for leading, teaching, convicting, correcting us with care, while compelling us to be more like you in every way.  But as you know, we need your help every hour of every day. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing and transforming our thinking, refreshing our souls with YOUR tender new mercies to extend to others while restoring the joy of your salvation at work continually within us.  This is my story, this is my song.  It’s all about you in us and us in you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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TROUBLES CAUSED BY REBELLION

Posted on June 22, 2026 by randscallawayffm

As humans, we are prone to look first and consistently for cause and effect reasons for our troubles and challenging circumstances. We are obsessed with explaining all the occurrences of life from sickness to accidents, to even death.  We look from side to side and wonder, “Wait, how did this crash happen?”  We endlessly wonder, “Why is this sickness not going away?” “I’ve done everything I can do!”

We easily look outward to blame others to help us with explanations of why we are living in the mess we are in.  We rationalize and rank our sins as easily as we breathe, eat, and drink.  “My sins are not as bad as that person over there, so I will make it.” We become so enthralled and obsessed with explaining life that we miss the point of life altogether.

We realize that some circumstances are not of our own making.  Some of the messes we fall into are because of the messy lives of others.  However, if we are honest, much of messy troubles and setbacks are a result of our own rebellion of ignoring and neglecting God, doing life on our own terms, relying on our own understandings, arrogantly assuming what others are thinking and therefore act accordingly with presumptive thoughts about all people, places, and things of this life.

Fools rush in when we are foolish because fools like the company of each other—until the fall. 

Psalm 81, The Message

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of Asaph.

1-5 A song to our strong God!
    a shout to the God of Jacob!
Anthems from the choir, music from the band,
    sweet sounds from lute and harp,
Trumpets and trombones and horns:
    it’s festival day, a feast to God!
A day decreed by God,
    solemnly ordered by the God of Jacob.
He commanded Joseph to keep this day
    so we’d never forget what he did in Egypt.

    I hear this most gentle whisper from One
    I never guessed would speak to me:

6-7 “I took the world off your shoulders,
    freed you from a life of hard labor.
You called to me in your pain;
    I got you out of a bad place.
I answered you from where the thunder hides,
    I proved you at Meribah Fountain.

8-10 “Listen, dear ones—get this straight;
    O Israel, don’t take this lightly.
Don’t take up with strange gods,
    don’t worship the popular gods.
I’m God, your God, the very God
    who rescued you from doom in Egypt,
Then fed you all you could eat,
    filled your hungry stomachs.

11-12 “But my people didn’t listen,
    Israel paid no attention;
So I let go of the reins and told them, ‘Run!
    Do it your own way!’

13-16 “Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now?
    Israel, will you follow my map?
I’ll make short work of your enemies,
    give your foes the back of my hand.
I’ll send the God-haters cringing like dogs,
    never to be heard from again.
You’ll feast on my fresh-baked bread
    spread with butter and rock-pure honey.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The celebration worship began with a flourish of trumpets and shouting praise to God!  This was a day set aside by God for His people to remember all that He has done for them.  The people were gladly reveling in the party, because who doesn’t enjoy a good party with good food?  However, but they were obedient to God in their daily lives.  Worship and service go together like honey and biscuits!  The congregation truly enjoyed the music and sang along with gusto—then God spoke.

Imagine the scene:  God’s voice was heard and the crowd grew silent as He whispered convicting words of their rebellious behaviors.  God reminded His people; “You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place.” “You worshiped other gods.” “You didn’t listen.”

God comes into our messy lives, not to condemn us to death; but to demonstrate to us how His Ways lead to Life.  Jesus, God’s Son, was the perfect example of showing us how to live in harmony with God.  Jesus’ willing obedience to God with sacrificing His live to save us was a demonstration of God’s love for us.  So, why worship any other god on earth but God, the Father who loves us enough to die for us? But we do.

We soon realize we are becoming who we worship and we just can’t hide it for our behaviors reflect who (or what) we really believe, talk about most, give our time to, trust, and obey.  Our love for God is divided and God will not allow it. He will step aside until we decide to come back to Him with full attention and allegiance.

We are given free will to choose our way or His Way.  We are responsible for the choice we make, however.  Free will comes with responsibility.  If we choose God’s Way; we have the resources beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations along with the holy guidance to all Truth. Yes, God was, is and always will be more than enough.

If we choose going our own way, we are in rebellion against His ways. We soon learn our resources are very limited. We fall for temptations that distract us from God, deceiving us by offering what we think will satisfy all our desires. As we struggle on this destructive path, Jesus offers His Hand of rescue.  We can choose to get a grip and be pulled out our current lifestyle of rebellion—or not.

One thing is for certain:  We will never be enough on our own to fill the emptiness we have without God.

“Please listen to me!” God pleaded with Israel to listen, but Israel ignored him.

As you read this, prayerfully and humbly consider;

Am I taking time to be still, let go, and truly listen to God?

Am I seeking God’s whisper of wisdom for me?

Am I willing to do what God says to me?

If God asks me to change my ways so I can walk more humbly with Him, am I ready and willing to transform, even if it stings a little?

The Israelites missed God’s best for them when they failed to listen.

God told Micah, His prophet, to tell His people to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him as they found their way back to God from perilous times of captivity due to their rebellion against God.  Other prophets spoke similar commands from God. But still, they did not listen.

God still speaks. We learn today that when God speaks; we must listen, trust, and obey. Choosing anything or anyone else but God leads to a slow cooking rebellion that can only lead to misery and death.  The steps to take to walk with God are found in Romans 12.  Check it out. Choose Life. Choose Jesus. No excuses, just surrender.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—Jesus, John 14:6

Lord,

A song sung in worship to You in celebration of remembering what You have done for us is not enough.  We must daily humble ourselves before you, listen to you, then trust and obey for there’s no other way to peace, joy, faith, hope, and your perfect love.  I choose You. I love you because you first loved me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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